Koren Kiener

Product Designer | Wellness Instructor

My Yoga Journeywith Koren Kiener

Koren Kiener is a product designer, wellness instructor, and yoga teacher in San Francisco, California, USA. In this interview, she shares her philosophy of yoga and her motivation and inspiration for practicing yoga.

For me, yoga is surely about the physical practice itself which keeps us present in our bodies as we move and breathe from pose to pose. But it is also beyond the physical practice. Yoga encourages us to embrace the obvious moments of the present, but it also encourages us to be receptive to what isn’t always obvious, the subtleties. It is about 'letting go' of out-dated versions of ourselves and habits in order to let in new wisdom and growth.

Interview with Koren Kienerpublished 12 April 2020

What does yoga mean to you?

In a similar vein to the actual meaning of yoga (to “yoke” or “bind”), yoga is all about connection for me. It is about connection in the literal sense - a way to connect back with the foundation of the earth and how we physically connect parts of our body to other areas throughout various asana poses. And beyond physical connection, it is the relationship that we build with our breath, our bodies, minds, emotions, ourselves and others.

For me, yoga is surely about the physical practice itself which keeps us present in our bodies as we move and breathe from pose to pose. But it is also beyond the physical practice. Yoga encourages us to embrace the obvious moments of the present, but it also encourages us to be receptive to what isn’t always obvious, the subtleties. It is about letting go of out-dated versions of ourselves and habits in order to let in new wisdom and growth. It is a compass towards self-discovery which draws us closer to our unique Dharma (right way of living) in life.

​Yoga is about giving ourselves permission to be imperfectly human. It asks us to apply the tools and philosophies both on the mat and off of the mat. Yoga encourages us to more intentionally weave the knowledge into our consciousness so that we can live more presently, kindly, curiously and inspired. Yoga is all about the me and the we. Ultimately, yoga has taught me how I can compassionately exist in my own personal experience, but also how I can compassionately coexist with others and our planet at large.

​When did you first start practicing yoga and why?

I was first introduced to yoga through my ballet background. Around the more intensive phase of my dance training, yoga was recommended to me as a means to restore my body from the strenuous hours of ballet. After the very first class I attended (in which I was probably around 13 years old), I immediately experienced the positive impacts of yoga. Beginning my journey with a more restorative style of yoga training illuminated the all-encompassing benefits and how the sequences promoted a deeper sense of ease and inner peace.

Were you ever resistant to learn yoga?

It is interesting for me to answer this question because I didn’t have the more common reasoning like I usually hear from students: “I’m not flexible enough” and similar types of hesitations due to physical limitations. Since my body was already relatively flexible from ballet, I initially loved exploring deep stretches and experimenting with all types of interesting poses. I think when I hit up against a wall of resistance is when I started to explore the Raja branch of yoga, meditation. For me, I love the physical practice as it allows me to move and I like to move and give my energy an outlet. So when I started incorporating meditation into my practice, I definitely experienced moments of discomfort in being still and really having to sit with myself and “my stuff.” While meditation was once intimidating and at times I would truly avoid it, I have come to greatly appreciate the positive impacts that it has had on my overall wellbeing.

How has yoga impacted your life?

Yoga is now an integral part of my daily life in various ways. I practice some form of yoga everyday whether it be the physical practice, continuing to deepen my knowledge in the philosophy or simply in my ability to be more present in how I show up for myself and others.

Why should someone practice yoga? ​

I think a way I’d like to reframe this question in my answer is: Someone should be CURIOUS to practice yoga because it has a unique way to impact people in the most personal ways but also in the most collectively shared ways. Everyone’s experience with yoga is beautifully different, yet, there is still common ground which helps to build spiritual community, Sangha.

What are your favourite asanas and why?

This one definitely can depend on the given day and that is what I love about yoga. There are so many tools, poses, sequencing, so many options! We are never limited and there is always an abundant supply of mindful means for us to explore. My favorite asanas in the sense that they may be easier and just feel naturally good in my body would be: heart openers, backbends, arm balances and hamstring stretches. Amongst them, I’m particularly a fan of dancer pose, wild thing, side crow, pyramid pose and Revolved Head-of-the-Knee Pose.

Koren's yoga journey reinforces the idea that yoga is all about connection - our connection to others, to the universe, and to our individual Self. To practice yoga, one does not need to be flexible. One only needs to be curious. We need to be curious about who we are, why we are here, and how best to live this earthly existence. The yoga journey is a path of discovery. And discovery is ultimately about connection and meaning. Namaste!

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